NewsNation host Chris Cuomo argued Monday that Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s approach to immigration exemplifies why Democrats fell short in the November election.
President Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris after campaigning heavily on addressing the immigration crisis created under her and former President Joe Biden’s administration. Cuomo, on “CUOMO,” said Ocasio-Cortez’s recent comments on X about Trump’s ultimately successful Sunday standoff with Colombia over deportation flights and her record in Congress demonstrate just how out of touch she is with the American public.
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“Witness AOC, the face of the problem for Democrats on this issue. Just now, you saw this this weekend, right? Trump threatens Colombia. Colombia says, ‘We’re not taking the return flights.’ Trump threatens Colombia with tariffs, alright? AOC jumps on it to score a political gotcha, linking the tariffs Trump threatened against Colombia with higher coffee prices and inflation,” Cuomo said. “Now she cares about inflation. You’re trying too hard, lady. Colombia’s president even retweeted AOC’s post and her squad pals were going off about how Trumpers can’t spell Colombia —which is true, but so what? It’s penny ante BS. The threat worked. Colombia caved.”
Cuomo contended that Ocasio-Cortez’s rhetoric underscores Democrats’ focus on attacking Trump rather than addressing substantive voter concerns.
“The point is this: Democrats, don’t hate — facilitate. Hate is the MAGA game, okay? Push for changes that matter and be vocal about that, not Trump,” he said. “And on this issue, especially, AOC is perfect proof of why Democrats lost this last election and what must change.”
While acknowledging Ocasio-Cortez’s “passion,” Cuomo said it hasn’t resulted in tangible benefits for her party.
“She’s made a great platform for herself in Congress — not through legislative achievement, not through even really messaging that has resonated in the country in a real way, but it works for herself,” he said. “And you’ve got to appreciate that in politics. She’s got millions and millions of followers online — it’s just not translating to anything good for her party. In fact, the opposite is true, okay?”
The NewsNation host added that he thinks Ocasio-Cortez truly believes in what she stands for, but that “she just doesn’t believe in the right things on this issue to be in step with the American people.” As evidence, Cuomo pointed to particular immigration measures she opposed.
“She was one of four Democrats who opposed the emergency border funding in 2019, [which] sent billions in aid to migrant kids that desperately needed it. Why? Because it also included $300 million for ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and CBP [Customs And Border Protection] and she wanted ICE defunded — like Homeland Security, like the police,” he said. “You want more? Okay, she was against the bipartisan border deal last year. ‘Meh, but that wasn’t a great bill. It was never going to make it past the House. [Republican Oklahoma Sen. James] Lankford is a loser.’”
Cuomo said he disagrees with this line of thinking, suggesting he thinks the bill would have passed if Trump did not oppose it.
“She was also against Biden’s asylum executive order, which ultimately led to the lowest border crossing numbers during his administration,” he added. “She was against it.”
Cuomo noted the political fallout from these stances, pointing to polls showing immigration as a crucial factor in Trump’s increased support among swing voters, Latinos and independents.
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